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Classic Car Spotlight: 1960 Impala

There was a time not too long ago when Chevys made between 1958 and 1963 were not in such high demand by collectors. Over the past few years, Chevys that were made between 1959 and 1961 have started to become popular among younger collectors. One of the models that has been elevated to classic car status is the 1960 Impala.

It is hard to say why collectors elevate some models to the level of classic cars, and that is one of the things that makes the 1960 Impala sort of a mystery. It had spartan features which included a heater, a clock, and the optional air conditioner, and it was not much to look at. But what makes the 1960 Impala so popular is the engine options it came with and the ride this very basic vehicle offered.

The Primary 1960 Impala Audience

Around 500,000 Impalas were made in 1960, and a large portion of them were sold to rural customers such as farmers. A large contingency of those 500,000 vehicles still remain, and that is mostly due to how well farmers tend to preserve their vehicles. While a fully-restored 1960 Impala can bring as much as $25,000, it is still possible to find a factory original 1960 Impala that is in mint condition that can fetch as much as $30,000.

The Power Behind the 1960 Impala

Chevy had a long list of engine and transmission options for the 1960 Impala that helped to create a wide variety of vehicles for collectors to hunt down today. The 1960 Impala came in a two-door or four-door, and it offered a hard top or convertible. But it was all of the engine and transmission options Chevy offered that created a generation of customized vehicles.

The engine options for the 1960 Impala were:

V6-235with 135 horsepower

V8-283 with horsepower choices that included 170 and 230

V8-348 with horsepower choices that included 355, 362, 358, and 364

The transmission options for the 1960 Impala were:

3-Speed Manual

4-Speed Manual

Powerglide

Overdrive

Turboglide

What Collectors Want From The 1960 Impala

Collectors who hunt for the 1960 Impala are usually looking for odd feature combinations that include the body type, engine, and transmission. For example, a four-door 1960 Impala with a V8 running 355 horsepower with a 4-speed manual transmission is extremely rare. But since Chevy was willing to create any combination of features, these types of vehicles do exist.

Collectors also enjoy the smooth ride of the 1960 Impala, and that classic look that has been seen in hundreds of movies and television shows. The 1960 Impala borrows many different design features from the 1959 Impala, but it also tones down some of the things the 1959 Impala was famous for. The angry looking rear fins and the high side fins have been altered for the 1960 Impala, and collectors also use the wide racing stripe down the sides of the 1960 Impala as a way to tell the two models apart.

The 1960 Impala is a new entry into the world of the classic car, and it is quickly becoming popular. Factory original 1960 Impalas are being featured in car shows all over the country, and young collectors are heading out to the country to find that perfect 1960 Impala that they can add to their collections.